Intermittent propelling device.



V W. H. voss. I IN TERMITTEN T PROPELLING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 25,1907. 7 987,777. Patented Mar. 28, 1911 2 SHEETS-SHEET l W; H. vo'ss. v 1 IN TERMITTENT PROPELLING DEVICE.

i I APPLICATION FILED JULY25,1907. 987,777, Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

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INTERMITTENT PROPELLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

Application filed July 25, 1907. Serial No. 385,529.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Voss, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Intermittent Propelling Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in intermittent propelling devices, especially to velocipedes, and other similar manuallypropelled vehicles, and its object is to provide a device of this character whereby the vehicle may be propelled by intermittent applications of power; said vehicle receiving sufiicient momentum from each application to carry it along until a succeeding stroke of applied power will renew its momentum.

Another object is, to provide means whereby said vehicle moves independently of the propelling means when descending on an inclined surface, being propelled by the force of gravity, while the propelling means remains at rest.

A further object is, to provide a propelling mechanism including an intermittent gripping device which is compact, durable, economical in point of production, and being comparatively noiseless and thoroughly eflicient.

While this device is applicable to a large and varied class of vehicles and machines, it is here illustrated in connection with a velocipede, which will hereinafter be described in detail, in order to facilitate a clearer understanding of the device and its mode of operation.

In the appended drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of my said improved propelling mechanism applied to a velocipede. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, showing the seat and its supporting members removed to more clearly illustrate the construction of the frame, and the rearor driving-axle of the velocipede. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view, partially in section, of the rear or driving axle showing the construction of the pulley and clutch mechanism. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section of the clutch taken on dotted line 4-4, of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse elevation of 0am of the clutch-shoes viewed from its inner e ge.

Referring to the drawings, A, A, represent two parallel beams or sills that are made of wood, or cast or rolled metal such as angle-irons, that form the frame of the velocipede and which are secured at each end to the running-gear thereof. Near their forward ends, these beams are spaced apart a suitable distance by means of a suitable U-shaped bolster B, the underneath portion of which is preferably cast in one piece with and forms the upper bearing plate I; of the pivot or fifth-wheel. The lower bearingplate I) of this fifth-wheel is mounted on the journals 0 for the front axle C, which latter has its ends extended out on each side of its bearings a distance suflicient to accommodate the feet of the rider for convenience in steering the same. Secured to the for-, ward ends of the sills, by means of bolts that extend down through the same and engage the flanges of the bolster, is a pair of tapered spring-beams E, E, on the rear ends of which a seat 6 is mounted preferably in front of the vertical plane of the rear shaft. This seat is retained in its normal position by means of flat springs F, F, that have their ends secured to the top of the sills and the bottom of the seat respectively.

The rear ends of the sills are each provided with suitable metal extensions D, D, that are curved outwardly as shown and terminate in bearing-bosses d, d, for the journals of the rear shaft X of the velocipede. Journaled in bearings g mounted on the sills between the front and rear axles is a vertically disposed rocking hand-lever G of the second class that operates between the two sills and is provided with a hand-grasp g at the upper end of the longer arm there: of. The shorter arm of this lever extends below the plane of the underside of the sills and its rounded end is secured to a suitable strap h. This strap extends back under the frame of the vehicle and has its opposite end secured to a suitable pulley or flanged sheave H that is mounted on the stationary bushing H and forms a part of the clutch mechanism.

Keyed to the rear or driving-shaft X ad jacent to pulley H is a suitable bell-shaped casing or housing K that has a centrally projecting bearing-boss K and has a circumferential rim is that extends laterally therefrom to the contiguous face of the pulley and incloses the clutch. This clutch mechanism just referred to comprises clutchmembers I that are mounted 011 journals i secured to the outside face of the flange of the pulley and project out into the casing K. These members each comprise suitable friction or clutch-shoes J that are adapted, when the clutch is operated to drive the shaft forward, to engage and wedge against the inside surface of the rim is of the casing. Projecting outwardly substantially at rightangles thereto is an operating arm j that is provided with a transverse stud j. The shoes are kept normally in frictional contact with the rim of the casing by means of an annular split ring L that engages the studs 7" at diametrically opposite points thereby forcing arms 7' toward each other.

In operation, when the lever G is pulled backward by the rider the strap will begin to unwind from the pulley while the shoes will wedge against the rim of the casing and drive the shaft in a direction to propel the velocipede forward. When the strap has been unwound its entire length or a portion thereof and the power released 011 the lever the pulley will automatically rewind the strap by means of the coil spring M that is coiled around the bushing H having one end secured thereto and the opposite end made fast on the pulley. This construction permits the rider to pull a stroke of any length desired and having made said stroke to allow the machine to glide along propelled only by its own momentum, or he can allow the lever to return to any predetermined point and begin another stroke.

In order to permit the outside wheel of the vehicle to move freely when describing a turn, I have found it advantageous to employ a ratchet mechanism such as illustrated in detail in Fig. 3 of the drawings. In this construction the shaft is preferably reduced in diameter to provide an axle m on which the hub m of the rear wheel is journaled. Secured to the hub or barrel of the wheel is a ratchet-sleeve N that extends to and fits loosely on the shaft and has its outer edge provided with serrations or teeth 17.. Mounted loosely on the shaft is a sleeve 0 provided with a corresponding number of like serrations or teeth 0 that are so made that they interlock with those on the hub sleeve. This sleeve is free to slide longitudinally on the shaft although it is caused to rotate therewith. This is accomplished by cutting an elongated recess P in the end of the sleeve opposite the teeth, which recess is adapted to be guided by a transverse pin 19 driven transa-xially through the shaft. In order to keep the teeth of the two sleeves in engagement with each other a suitable expansion spring Q is coiled around the shaft one end of which presses against the said sleeve while the opposite end engages the outer edge of the bearing boss of the drivingshaft. Thus it will be evident that when the shaft is being turned to move the vehicle forward the straight longitudinal edges of the teeth a and 0 will engage each other and lock the axle and the hub of the wheel together .and drive the wheel forward, but when the velocipede is moving in a circle the inclined surfaces of said teeth will slide over each other and the wheel will thus rotate independent of or faster than the driving shaft.

that I claim as new is 1. In a propelling mechanism, the combination of a frame having a rear axle journaled therein, a driver pulley concentric with the axle, a hollow casing keyed on the axle adjacent to the pulley, friction shoes carried by said pulley and engaging the interior surface of said casing, and a circular spring engaging all of said friction shoes for retaining them in operative position, and means for operating the driver pulley.

2. In a propelling mechanism, the combination of a frame having a rear axle journaled therein, .a bushing concentric with the axle and stationary with the frame, a hollow pulley rotatably mounted on the bushing, a strap .attached to the pulley, a coil spring within said pulley adapted to hold the strap wound thereon, clutch members pivotally mounted on the end of the pulley, a casing inclosing the clutch members and keyed to said axle, a circular spring engaging all of the clutch members to hold them in engagement with the casing, and means for unwinding the strap whereby the axle is rotated.

3. In a propelling mechanism, the combination of a frame having .a rear axle journaled therein, a driver pulley concentric with the axle, a hollow casing keyed on the axle adjacent to the pulley, clutch means carried by said pulley and engaging the interior surface of said casing, a circular spring engaging all of said clutch means for retaining them in operative position, and means for operating the driver pulley.

t. In a propelling mechanism, an axle, a hollow casing fixed on the axle, and having an inner concave surface, a driver pulley concentrically alined with the axle and rotatable relative to the casing, clutches pivoted to said pulley and adapted to friction- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set ally engage the inner concave surface of the my hand and seal this 17th day of July, casing, a circular spring engaging the said A. D., 1907.

clutches for maintaining contact of the WILLIAM H. VOSS. [L.S.] clutches With the concave surface, and means Witnesses:

for oscillating the driver pulley intermit- WILLIAM E. PULs,

tently for rotating the shaft. ARTHUR CLIFFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

